Best Back to School Tips

It's either the best time of year, or the worst, depending on your perspective.  That's right, the kids are heading back to school!  Before the squeals of glee or tears of dread escape, we've scoured the interwebs for the best tips on managing the craziness of the first week.

1. Collect some healthy and quick lunch and snack ideas. There are tons of great nut-free ideas on the internet!
   
   
   
   
2. Figure out your morning plan. Mornings are the worst if you are not organized! Plan to get everything organized the night before to make your mornings less stressful. Choose outfits, pack lunches/backpacks, and plan breakfast the night before. Have your keys, wallet, cell phone etc. ready by the door so you're not stranded searching for important items right before you have to leave. I have a bin where I keep "important" items I don't want to forget on a table near my front door.  I especially love the idea of setting up a "family launch pad" to really organize those hectic mornings!
3. Start adjusting your family schedule now (if you haven't already).  Children thrive on routine, and starting a predictable schedule during the summer can help ease them into the school year.  This is the time to adjust bedtime so they're getting to sleep early enough to get up in the mornings!  It might mean cutting back on some evening activities, but it'll be worth it when you don't have gremlins in the morning!
4. If your child is starting at a new school, see if you can go in early to meet the teacher and get a tour of the school. If you are unsure, make sure you call ahead to find out exactly what documentation is needed (i.e. immunization records).
5. Practice compassion and emotional intelligence at home, to prep for school interactions. Sadly, bullying is a common occurrence in schools today. Try out some of our tips, and get a conversation started with your kids!

   

   Obviously super excited about starting school.  Or about her mother making her pose for a photo.

6. Shop and prep school supplies and labels. This was always my favourite thing to do as a kid...and even now! If you are on a budget, dollar stores are a great place to buy everything you need (yay for Dollarama!).  Get your kids involved so they're more invested in taking care of their supplies!
   
7. Take your annual photo to commemorate the year.  There are lots of cute ideas out there! If you want to keep it simple, just have your kid hold up a sign with the grade they are starting.

   

   Tip!  Have your child hold up a blank piece of paper and add the text in after!

8. Make up a fun tradition to start the year. Maybe a family trip to the local ice cream shop to celebrate the first day of school? 
9. Organize your space. Plan to post a large family calender in a visible location so you can track activities/events easily. Make sure to update it regularly and plan to review it daily so you know exactly what is going on (you don't want to be that parent that forgot to send in the field trip form, do you?). Set up a homework station with accessible school supplies and carve out a time each day to review what your kids did in school (it's also a great way to keep the lines of communication open). Keep backpacks, lunch boxes/containers in the same location so you are not wildly searching for things.
10. Remind children of traffic and bus safety. Review schoolbus safety including use of seat belts, crossing the street safely, and the names of people who are allowed to pick them up from school etc.
    

Hope the back the school transition goes smoothly for everyone and good luck to all those mamas who have little ones starting kindergarten! We will be in the same boat next year...yikes!

What are your best tips for prepping for back to school?  Let us know so we can start preparing ourselves now!